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20110101

Foreman Jaco Kruger lied about Namib farm attack

December 31, 2010 -- FARM foreman Jaco Kruger may have landed himself in serious trouble with the police by claiming that he was shot by poachers and sending the police on a wild goose chase. Commissioner of the Khomas Region, Samuel Hoëbeb, yesterday described the reported case of attempted murder on the Mbela farm in the Hochfeld area as unfound and misleading, Ellanie Smit reported in the Namibian Sun.

Kruger deliberately made a false statement to the Police, wasting valuable time and resources and will thus be dealt with according to the law, said Hoëbeb. Deputy Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu added that the case will be further investigated to determine the course of action. Kruger’s fire-arm has also been confiscated for investigation purposes.

Kruger claimed that he was shot and wounded by poachers on the Mbela farm where he is employed as a farm manager. Senior officers and detectives were despatched to Gobabis, Okahandja and Hochfeld to investigate and to arrest the “would-be offender”, but a thorough investigation by the police lead to Kruger eventually spilling the beans.

Apparently Kruger was under the influence of alcohol and wanted to hunt for some guinea fowl on foot. He climbed through one of the fences of the farm and when he placed the .22 calibre rifle on the ground, a shot went off, hitting Kruger in his upper left shoulder. Kruger was released from the hospital on 23 December and returned to the farm. The following day, police returned to look for the scene of the shooting but could not find it and eventually Kruger came clean. Kruger blamed the whole ordeal on the shock he felt after the shooting.Meanwhile //Hoëbeb said that the Police were tasked to conduct farm patrols and mobile road blocks in order to prevent and detect stock theft and illegal hunting during Christmas time, but no incidents have been reported.

The term "genocide" was coined by legal scholar Raphael Lemkin in 1943, writing:

'Generally speaking, genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation, except when accomplished by mass killings of all members of a nation. It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different actionsaiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.

The objectives of such a plan would be the disintegration of the political and social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of personal security, liberty, health, dignity and lives of the members of such groups... '